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Looking for a place to discuss camera trap troubleshooting, compare models, collaborate with members working with other technologies like machine learning and bioacoustics, or share and exchange data from your camera trap research? Get involved in our Camera Traps group! All are welcome whether you are new to camera trapping, have expertise from the field to share, or are curious about how your skill sets can help those working with camera traps. 

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Making the Most of Tech Tutors Season 2!

WILDLABS Team

30 November 2020 12:00am

WILDLABS is celebrating its five year anniversary! Throughout the rest of 2020, we'll be sharing articles, community features, and case studies showcasing the incredible projects, collaborations, and successes that this...

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discussion

Tech Tutors: How do I repair my camera traps?

Ellie Warren

22 July 2020 8:20pm

Hi Wildlabbers,  It's almost time for our fifth Tech Tutors session tomorrow with Laure Joanny, Rob Appleby, and Alistair Stewart, who will...

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Ellie Warren

10 September 2020 4:25pm

Hi all,

I know we mentioned this in the episode and collaborative doc for this episode, but I just wanted to make sure everyone knows about the camera trap troubleshooting spreadsheet our presenters created! The goal is to build up a bank of common problems so we can help each other and have an ongoing resource to use.

Please consider adding your problems into the spreadsheet as well as here in the forum!

-Ellie

Ellie Warren

6 October 2020 5:55pm

Hi all,

This camera trap repair video about sulfated batteries was shared with us on Twitter and I thought it might be interesting and helpful for this Tech Tutors group! Check it out here and let us know if you find this useful!

-Ellie 

 

Ellie Warren

3 November 2020 7:03pm

Hi all, 

Just saw this on Twitter - a database of all kinds of camera trap user manuals across brands and models. Thought it might be a helpful resource if you're struggling with an old or used camera that you don't have the manual for.

------

 

Did you buy your #cameratrap years ago and you have lost the user manual?

that's my case, but I've the solution!

find here thousand of #cameratrap user manual. Different brands, models...https://t.co/c9FchfINzR

— cameratraps (@cameratraps1) November 3, 2020
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discussion

Camera trap repairs

mt34thomas

5 August 2020 4:47pm

Hi all, thank you for the fascinating camera trap workshop, I found it super helpful in my battle against camera trap repairs. I am currently at a research station in the...

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mt34thomas

19 October 2020 5:53pm

Apologies for the super late reply and thank you for all your comments and help. WE had wifi problems at the research station. I managed to fix a few by removing the rust from connectors, leaving them in a sealed container with silica gel. I am not back at home so will look at the different documents and order some equipment before I go back out to be ready for more repairing. Is there a list of other suggested items I should invest in to help with repairs? 

Alistair Stewart

25 October 2020 11:28pm

That is great to hear, Mark. I'm interested as to which repair related to each of the symptoms you intially listed, but for now, knowing that more of your cameras work is excellent. I think your use of silica gel to properly dry out the cameras is underrated - this might have to top suggestion for malfunctioning cameras in the future.

A list of basic tools is a good idea. Maybe we should start a separate thread for this, but I'll throw a few in here to start.

Screwdriver set  - small electronics screwdrivers, Phillips and flat head. Some cameras are using "torx" heads, so check your equipment and what you may need.

Multimeter - most problems can be checked using a volt meter only, but checking resistance of leads and continuity is very useful.

Pliers and snips - small needle nosed pliers are great for hard to reach pieces, side cutters help a lot for accurately trimming wires. If you start rewiring and soldering then wire strippers are very useful, but the job can be done carefully with a sharp knife if needed.

Soldering iron, solder and flux - if parts are coming loose, cables are getting torn off by animals or you just need to secure old wires better, then soldering is usually needed. A cheap soldering iron will do the job on wires for batteries and general hookup, but fine temperature control and a small tip is better for circuitboards. Do you have mains power - 240V/110V? A battery powered or 12V iron might be needed for a remote field/station. Fine electronics solder is most useful. Flux help clean surfaces for soldering but should be rinsed off to avoid corrosion - I have a "flux pen" that is small, portable. Practice is the key to soldering. There are lots of tutorials online about soldering but give it a go on something sacrificial first to get a feel for temperatures and how molten solder works.

Spare wire - size the wire accoring to the amperage that is needed. Passing too many amps through a fine wire may cause a fire (trust me). Multiple colours are avaialble so you can colour code your +/- and data lines. 

Insulation - this should be higher up the list! Electrical tape wrapped around wires and terminals will get the job done, but heat shrink tube in various sizes is more robust (just remember to put it over the wire before you connect it). Kapton tape is good for covering flat, internal electronics like circuitboards.

I hope that helps. Any other suggestions?

Cheers, Al

Alistair Stewart

1 November 2020 3:11am

I also just found this similar summary of equipment on youtube - https://youtu.be/pNBkfE8UPDI. The breadboard and components are a good addition for building and testing circuits.

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event

Snapshot USA Symposium for Student Research

Roland Kays

27 October 2020 12:00am

Are you a student using Snapshot USA data in research and class projects? Present your work (and Mammal Memes) at the Snapshot USA Student Research Symposium! Taking place on November 13th from 1-3 PM EST, this is your...

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discussion

Tech Tutors: How do I train my first machine learning model?

Stephanie O'Donnell

18 June 2020 1:19pm

Hi wildlabbers,  We're just a few hours away from our first Tech Tutors session with Daniel Situnayake, who will be tackling the question: How do I...

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Ellie Warren

8 October 2020 9:45pm

Hi Wildlabbers,

Just popping in to share this very cool primer for beginners to embedded machine learning from our tutor Daniel Situnayake! If you're interested in learning more about the basics of TinyML, this is a great resource.

Find the link here!

-Ellie

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Training Opportunity: HarvardX TinyML Course

edX

30 September 2020 12:00am

Want to build your professional skills in TinyML? Harvard University and Google TensorFlow are offering a new online Professional Certificate program of 3 skill-building courses, designed to cover the essential "...

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discussion

Model Question: Bushnell Trophy Cam HD Low-Glow 119719CW

Chhunheang

27 August 2020 5:18am

Hello! I hope everyone is safe and well so far during this pandemic. I was just wondering if anyone knows if Bushnell Trophy Cam HD Low-Glow 119719CW can record in hybrid...

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Juan Reppucci

31 August 2020 12:43am

Hi

I don´t know about that specific model number, but all "modern" Bushnell's I've seen had that option. But have in mind that after the picture the camera needs some time to start the video, sometimes up to 9 seconds, which for many animals might be excesive. In my case working with carnivores in the high Andes, we missed most of the videos.

Maybe they improve on this, the experience I'm mentioning was with a model bought two years ago named Bushnell Trophy Cam Aggressor (Low-Glow), 36 LEDs 14MP (I don't know the model number).

 

I hope it helps.

Bests

Chhunheang

2 September 2020 3:17am

Hi Juan, 

Thank you for your reply. Finger cross that the model we are buying can operate in hybrid mode. We currently use Trophy Cam Agressor 119776 and 119774, and both can shoot in hybrid mode. I can actually find a manual for these two models to confirm this functionality.

And good to know about the delay. We've been quite lucky thus far with the two models above. Typically, I notice the lag hovers around 1 sec only. 

Have a nice day!

Best wishes,

Chhunheang

22 September 2020 12:06pm

Just in case anyone out there who's wondering the same as I did. I finally have this specific model in hand, and no it doesn't record in hybrid mode. 

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event

Webinar: Advances in Fisheries Electronic Monitoring

SAFET

21 September 2020 12:00am

2020 Seafood and Fisheries Emerging Technology Conference kicks off their webinar series this Thursday, Sept. 24th at 5 PM PT/ 8 PM ET. Register now for New Models, New Applications: Advances in Fisheries Electronic...

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event

Tech Tutors: Review Session

WILDLABS Team

3 September 2020 12:00am

Missing Tech Tutors? Us too! Catch up on every episode from Season 1, check out some of our community highlights, and find out what we loved most about launching this series in this mid-week Tech Tutors review session....

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discussion

Stereoscopic Camera Project

Tom Southworth

24 August 2020 1:02pm

Intro Hi all!  It was suggested to me to post up on here about a stereoscopic camera project I'm working on, as I want to see if there's any way I...

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Tom Southworth

24 August 2020 1:21pm

Should have posted this up first, but here's an earlier case prototype that I quickly put together to test its durability outside in the elements.  It worked quite well, even when raining.  Always save your old compost bags, very useful for waterproofing things (unless they have those tiny holes in!)

Carly Batist

28 August 2020 3:43pm

This is awesome, Tom! I think it would definitely be really helpful for individual identification of animals, as the 3D would give you a better perspective on distinctive markings, coloration, size, etc.

Tom Southworth

29 August 2020 12:25am

Thanks Carly!  I was thinking similar things, you can identify shape a lot better when you see an object with depth rather than without.

The two cameras can be configured to be a long distance apart or closer together too which means animals right up close or really far away can be identified easier.  It also means that you can have the vision of a mouse or an elephant .. or a lemur! 

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article

Designing a Camera Mount with FLIR and WWF

ARosen

24 August 2020 12:00am

Today, WWF conservation engineering intern Ashley Rosen shares insight into the process of redesigning a camera mount for FLIR thermal cameras used by rangers in the fight against poaching. Ashley's design will become a...

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article

Laure Joanny Reviews: Tech Tutors' How Do I Repair My Camera Traps?

Laure Joanny

20 August 2020 12:00am

Our first season of Tech Tutors may have wrapped, but the connections and collaborations from these episodes are still going strong! Today, we're sharing Tech Tutor presenter Laure Joanny's recap of the most important...

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Frank van der Most

7 October 2022 6:13pm

I think you are right that there can be a lot of sharing on fixing camera traps! However, instead of setting up infrastructure for repair instructions, why not use an existing one...
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article

Metal Detecting Sensors for Anti-Poaching

Sam Seccombe

10 August 2020 12:00am

Since 2016, ZSL’s Instant Detect team have been working on improving metal detecting sensors for anti-poaching. The team believe that using metal detecting sensors will provide a highly targeted detection of potential...

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discussion

Model Question: CT Detection angle and Field of View

Hana Raza

24 June 2020 3:50pm

Hello, I'm currently working on estimating the density of bezoar goats in Iraqi Kurdistan using REM. My data consists of camera trap images over a seven-year period. The...

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Sam Seccombe

31 July 2020 10:49am

Hi Hana,

https://www.trailcampro.com/pages/trail-camera-detection-field-of-view-angle

https://www.trailcampro.com/pages/how-why-we-test-trail-cameras

Trailcamerpro.com have the above details. They measure field of view with a ruler at a set distance and some maths. Detection angle is harder and one way is to do a slow walk test, a foot every 20 seconds, across the cameras view and work out where the camera first captures images and then map this back to the field of view.

Hope this helps,

Sam

  

Juan Sebastian Vargas Soto

31 July 2020 5:17pm

Hi Hana, I know for Bushnell the manual has the FOV, it should be 50 degrees for yours. All the manuals are online so you just have to find your model. https://www.bushnell.com/bu-manuals.html 

As for the detection radius I agree with looking at trailcampro, to see if they've tested your model.

 

Peter Apps

4 August 2020 9:55am

Fig 2 here; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/aje.12573 might help for the Bushnell. I haven't tested Stealthcams. 

There is more here; https://www.researchgate.net/project/A-realistic-reproducible-and-rigorous-test-for-wildlife-camera-trap-performance

 

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event

Event: StreamingScience's #Tech4Wildlife Thursdays

StreamingScience

3 August 2020 12:00am

Join Conservation Technology Educator Andrew Schulz each Thursday at 7:00pm EST for #Tech4Wildlife Thursdays, a casual chat event with friends from the conservation tech community. Many of these chats will feature...

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article

Tracking Wild Reptiles, Amphibians, And Their Temperatures

WILDLABS Team

31 July 2020 12:00am

In this case study from herpetologist Emily Taylor, we learn about the best methods and gear used to track snakes, lizards, and other reptiles and amphibians via radio-telemetry, and how these techniques have changed...

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Edgar M. fortune

15 September 2023 11:02pm

Hi, have we had any break throughs in radio transmitters for snakes, surgery is way too invasive in my opinion. It works but we need to look at different technologies. 
Jennifer Lisa Insupp

16 October 2023 4:07pm

Hi, I would also be interested if any new technologies recently turned up and if you may have a list of producers?
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article

BearID To Go

BearID Project

21 July 2020 12:00am

In this article from BearID Project, Director and Software Developer Ed Miller walks us through using their application to identify individual bears from photographs. Ed shows us how to easily use BearID remotely in the...

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event

How do I repair my camera traps?

WILDLABS Team

13 July 2020 12:00am

Our fifth WILDLABS Tech Tutors are Laure Joanny, Rob Appleby, and Alistair Stewart, who teamed up to tackle the question: How do I repair my camera traps? You can catch up on this tutorial on our Youtube channel and...

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discussion

Tech Tutors: How do I get started using ML for my camera traps? Building Accurate Project-Specific Models​

Ellie Warren

25 June 2020 12:02am

Hi Wildlabbers,  We're so excited for our second Tech Tutors session tomorrow with Sara Beery, who will be tackling the question: How do I get started using...

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Stephanie O'Donnell

26 June 2020 2:32pm

Hi everyone! 

We've now posted Sara's session to our youtube channel, and I've also popped it up the top of this thread.

The collaborative notes worked really well! I've now updated them to capture what happened in the chat - it should be a helpful companion to go alongside the recording. The notes have links, projects, and key discussions we saw in the chat, and summarise the questions Sara coverd in the discussion as well as the Qs we weren't able to get to (40mins overtime was our limit!). If your question was one of the outstanding ones and you'd like to have it answered, please drop it in the discussion below. 

The notes now also have the participant check ins (such an awesome range of places, projects and interests!) - I'm sharing these as seeing what other people are doing might help you connect with each other. If you see someone you want to connect with, try and find them using  our member direcyour people tab. If you can't, email Ellie and she will see if that person is happy to hear from you before connecting you.

Reminder, registration is open for Carlos' tutorial next week: How do I perform automated recordings of bird assemblages? Register here.  

Thanks everyone! 

Steph 

sameerk

2 July 2020 8:58pm

Great talk! I thoroughly enjoyed it. Some  high schoolers have done small AI projects(s) and have interest in the wildlife.
What resources would you all suggest to further develop high schooler’s interest in AI?
 

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